Gateway to Global Issues Now Open

(September 16, 2004) Whether you’re studying global issues or teaching them, an impressive new resource lies at your fingertips. Find out the latest facts and figures about the global economy, see what international scholars are saying from different corners of the globe, check out videos of lectures by United Nations ambassadors and discover educational materials on global subjects!

It’s all there and much more at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s new Global Issues Gateway Web site (http://www.gig.org), an exciting portal to news and views from throughout the world. Global Issues Gateway features original content from the FDU community and articles and reports from a wide range of sources, selected by faculty editors.

The editors regularly pull articles and features relating to their fields of expertise and post them, or links to them, on the site, says Jason Scorza, professor of philosophy and political science on the Metropolitan Campus, who is the general editor of Global Issues Gateway. He explains that the goal is not to be a comprehensive outlet for information and news, but rather a very selective digest that focuses exclusively on “issues that truly transcend boundaries and cultures in a meaningful way.” Subsections of the site focus on culture, economics, ethics, science and politics.

The site also highlights global education for K–12 teachers and provides content and maintains links to lesson plans and other educational materials related to global affairs for primary and secondary school teachers.

In addition to editing the site’s content, FDU faculty offer original reviews and commentary. The University’s Global Virtual Faculty™ serve as guest editors or Global Scholars in Residence, offering writings and dispatches from their areas of the globe and hosting discussions. FDU forums and global education events also are highlighted. A special section is devoted to FDU’s programs with the United Nations, and all U.N. lectures and videoconferences are available via streaming media.

“The goal is to promote global learning,” says Scorza. “FDU’s mission is to offer a global education, and this site is an opportunity to provide global learning for a broader audience.”

New Jersey’s largest private university, Fairleigh Dickinson has two campuses in northern New Jersey (College at Florham in Madison and the Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck) and a third in Wroxton, England. Dedicated to the preparation of world citizens through global education, the University features more than 100 degree programs and a nationally acclaimed Core curriculum. It also recently became the first traditional university to require that all undergraduate students take one distance-learning course per year. A central part of the distance-learning initiative is the creation of Global Virtual Faculty™ — scholars and practitioners from throughout the world who contribute to online courses via the Internet.

Contacts:

Angelo CarfagnaDirector of Communications and Special Projects201-692-7025angelo@fdu.edu

Jason Scorza Professor of Philosophy and Political Science201-692-2765scorza@fdu.edu